Breaking Through The Shell
by Bubbles In My Water
Summary: Follow Draven as he tries to survive the Hunger Games when put up against 23 other competitors, with only one coming out alive. If he survives, what will happen? (Yeah bad summary, but hey, first story!)
1. Chapter 1

A quick disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games or any of the books in the series.

Chapter 1: Daybreak.

Warning: This is my first chapter of my first story so uh..yeah..don't expect too much. Any criticism, as long as it's creative, is allowed I guess.

"Draven, wake up! It's the day of the reaping!" my mother's voice entered my reverie, snapping me out of it. I peered at the calendar. Huh. So it was reaping day. I despised this day every year, it was a day where two families would be forced to send their sons or daughters to a free-for-all showdown in an arena against twenty-two other children from other districts. And this year it would be worse. Ever since we lost the second rebellion which was held during the seventy-sixth year of the Games, there was a new system called the Hope Breaking. It was, I guess, just a second Quarter Quell, except it happens every seventy six years with more intense, crazy twists. Perfect for the Capitol people, who just love to see bloodshed. It seems as though it was only yesterday when the reading of the first Hope Breaking's twist took place.

~Insert flashback here~

"_And for the first Hope Breaking Games, as a reminder that the districts cut the Capitol off from supplies during the Second Rebellion, no sponsoring of any type will be allowed in this year's Games." President Annaj announced over the televisions everywhere in Panem. Very often, sponsoring would make a game for someone or break it. Take the deceased victor, Finnick Odair, of district four for example. He only won his Games because of his incredibly good looks which got him many sponsors, giving him enough money to afford a trident which put the crown in his lap. Whoever was reaped this year, especially the Careers, would have a hell of a time in the arena. Although that's already promised._

Flashback ends~

I finally sit up and put on the intricately patterned clothes my mother put by my legs on the bed. I proceed to brush my teeth with some cheap toothpaste the Capitol citizens would never use. But here in the districts, toothpaste is rare as it is. I walk out the front door, into the snowy wasteland outside where I would have to pass through to get to the Town Square where attendance is necessary.


	2. The Reaping (Part 2)

Chapter 2: The Reaping.

Note: Wow! Thanks for the feedback! Definitely going to try to update as much as I can and I will try to break the word limit of the previous chapter (411)

Before long, I reach the town square and pass by some people who usually bid on who will get reaped for the Games. Disgusting, all of them. Betting money on who will be District 12's tribute-or should I say next top dead person-just because they're lucky that they survived their reapings. I would punch them if I could but if I did, a full out attack by the whole party on me would definitely ensue. So I just keep my thoughts to myself. I silently walk into my place with the other fifteen-year-olds and we all shake hands, wishing everyone good luck. After what seems like an eternity, Caitlyn Trinket, daughter of Effie Trinket, the previous name drawer and District 12 escort, walks onto the stage with her usual Capitol poise wearing high heels. You just have to take one look at Caitlyn and you know that the Capitol is a weird place. Her reddish wig which has curls upon curls, her shirt with so many girly orange laces everywhere. Even her shoes have spirally patterns on them, as though they were meant to hypnotise you. After Caitlyn takes her seat on the stage, the only living District 12 victor after Katniss and Peeta, Eugene Golting walks onto stage as well. Eugene isn't exactly very..emotionally stable. In his winning Games, he was molested and raped by a weirdly figured muttation from the Capitol which had arms and legs twisting out of its body in weird, obtuse angles. After that incident, he just went on a rampage and murdered everyone and everything he came across by stabbing them with a knife eight times and ensuring they were dead by cutting a gaping hole in their chest, tearing out their hears and proceeding to stab that instead. After everyone else died, he got crowned the victor of the 126th Games. Finally, the president of District 12, Mayor Pangarang steps on stage. Although everyone starts clapping for him, I know they secretly despise him. Not only because he's about to give us a speech about how much we owe the Capitol, but also for the first time, how we failed during the Second Rebellion and yet the Capitol spared us all. The second reason that everyone hates him is because he has been living a life of comfort and cosiness, in other words, luxury while everyone else in District 12, besides Eugene, has been struggling to have enough to eat. Even the merchant kids sometimes never have enough to eat. This is why the Capitol created another system to add more 'fun' to the Games. For example, if you're poor at the moment and can't afford any food, you can enter your name into the reaping bowl more times than you normally would in exchange for money, grain, oil. And merchant kids almost never have to enter their names extra times, making them hateable as well.

After the insanely long speech, Caitlyn Trinket walks up to address us all.

"Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever in your favour!" Caitlyn exclaims into the microphone with equal verve as her predecessor, Effie Trinket. Maybe you wouldn't be so happy if your child was the one dying, I think. She walks over to the female's reaping bowl in her pointy high heels and reaches into it. You could almost hear a pin drop in the town square now.

"Hmm…Lotus Greenwell! Congratulations!" Caitlyn says as the unfortunate girl who would probably be deceased in less than 2 weeks walks onto the stage, tears streaming down her rosy cheeks. She is really unlucky, considering the fact that she's a merchant kid and most likely only had a few slips of her name in the bowl.

"Onto the boys!" Caitlyn says, clawing around in the boy's reaping bowl. I close my eyes, hoping it's not me. What are the odds of my name being chosen? I only put in my name about 18 times and there are thousands of slips to choose from.

"Ah! Draven Ioca! Congratulations!" My heart skips a beat. Impossible. Preposterous. How? I find my feet subconsciously dragging themselves onto the stage. I can't cry or people would think that I'm weak. Easy to kill. And that is one thing which would attract attackers in the arena so I hold back my tears.

Peacekeepers arrive to escort us into the Justice Building where my family, friends, loved ones will be able to talk with us for fifteen minutes each. When I arrive at the waiting room, I know I can't hold them off any further. Like tap water overflowing from a basin containing too much water, my tears spill out of my eyes. I hope I can dry them before my family comes.


End file.
